Magical Blogorail Green: Best Ways to Get Wet and Keep Cool in Disney

Welcome to those of you joining me from Disney Living and those of you just hopping aboard. I am the 3rd stop on our Magical Blogorail.

One of my favorite ways to get wet and keep cool in Disney has always been and always will be the water parks. However I want to highlight another great way to get wet and keep cool while visiting Disney this summer - the amazing pool at Disney's Yacht Club Resort.

I stayed there last July 4th weekend with my family strictly to enjoy the pool (we did venture to Epcot on one of the days). It's like a mini water park at a gorgeous Disney resort in Epcot's backyard! It has two slides, a lazy river and of course the several pools (some large and some small). You can rent single and double tubes to float around the lazy river for a couple of hours or all day (and trust me in the middle of a Florida hot summer that's all you want to do).

*Note: If you want to experience the amazing pools, watersides and lazy river you do need to be staying at either Disney's Yacht Club Resort or Disney's Beach Club Resort (both resorts share the pool area). The pool is enclosed by a gate and they do check hotel keys.


Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is A Disney Mom’s Thoughts. 

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:
1st Stop ~ Your Highway in the Sky2nd Stop ~ Disney Living3rd Stop ~ Adventures of a Disney Princess4th Stop ~ A Disney Mom’s ThoughtsFinal Stop ~ Walt Disney World: Not Just for Kids

Magical Blogorail Green: Favorite Character Dining Experience

Welcome to those of you joining me from Disney Living and those of you just hopping aboard. I am the 2nd stop on our Magical Blogorail.

My favorite character dining experience is Chef Mickey's at Disney's Contemporary Resort. 

Chef Mickey's offers a great character dining experience for both breakfast and dinner with all of the classic Disney characters we all love so much - Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald, Daisy, Goofy & the Chipmunks (at least those were all the characters I met when I was little and used to go for their breakfast). 

When I went most recently for dinner I only saw Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald & Goofy. As an adult at Chef Mickey's I feel like a kid again. I think any character dining experience at the Disney Parks can easily transform any adult back to a kid (I still get giddy when I see them and take a picture with them). My favorite part is watching how the kids at the restaurant react. It brings back my childhood memories in an instant, but then again I haven't grown up all that much thanks to Disney!

The key to enjoying Chef Mickey's is to go hungry! It's an all you care to enjoy buffet style with all the yummy Disney food you can imagine! 

The only downfall to Chef Mickey's is that it is quite a pricey character dining experience. For breakfast adults pay $36 and for dinner it's now gone up to $60. And a new policy as of October 2011 now makes you hold the reservation with a credit card and gives you up to one day prior to cancel. This new policy will probably make getting a reservation much easier than it used to be (it was nearly impossible), but since it was only 2 of us we were able to walk in and be seated. Although pricey, I highly recommend this character dining experience for anyone both young and old! 

Below are some pictures of my most recent trip (I tried to find the ones from when I was 4, but would have had to have gone through hundreds of my mom's photo albums). 

Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is A Disney Mom’s Thoughts. 

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:

1st Stop ~ Disney Living

2nd Stop ~ Adventures of a Disney Princess

3rd Stop ~ A Disney Mom’s Thoughts

4th Stop ~ The CanaDisney Blog
Final Stop ~ Your Highway in the Sky

Magical Blogorail Green - Hidden Treasures

Welcome to those of you joining me from Disney Living and those of you just hopping aboard. I am the final stop on our Magical Blogorail.

One of the Hidden Treasures that I absolutely love is the Firehouse Gift Station on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom. Not many people may know about it, but when inside it's a nice little hidden treasure with little gifts you wouldn't find anywhere else in the park. 

My favorite thing about the Firehouse Gift Station and why I feel it is truly a little Hidden Treasure inside the park is that over the years Firefighters from various departments around the country have left their patches and the station has them up for display. What started off as a tradition for firefighters however has grown and you can find patches from police departments and even several federal agencies that all work towards keeping us and our country safe on a daily basis. I think it's a nice way to honor all those and remember the many men and women that are fighting for our safety. 

Thank you for joining Magical Blogorail Green this month. We will be back Friday, March 23^rd  with an all new theme. Keep checking in with our blogs in between loops to keep up to date with our Disney info, photos and stories. If you are looking for more Disney magic, you can make your way over to The Magical Blogorail website to see all our members and their blogs, as well as all our previous loops.

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:

1st Stop ~ A Disney Mom’s Thoughts

2nd Stop ~ Walt Disney World: Not Just for Kids
3rd Stop ~ Your Highway in the Sky
4th Stop ~ Disney Living
Final Stop ~ Adventures of a Disney Princess

Magical Blogorail Green - The Holidays at Disney

Welcome to the first stop aboard Magical Blogorail Green. Enjoy the ride as we share with you our favorite things about the holiday season at Disney.

It doesn't get any better than Christmas time in Disney because they make sure to put you in the holiday spirit from the second you visit the website to book your trip! Not only are the parks decorated in the best way possible for Christmas, but the Disney Parks all have something special going on for the holiday season. 

My favorite thing about the holiday season at Disney takes place at the Magic Kingdom with Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. This has become an annual tradition for me as I go every year.

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party takes place on select nights from November through December (typically Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays). Since it is a special event it requires a separate ticket, and the closer it gets to the holidays the more quickly it sells out. I really enjoy this event because it's everything Christmas, Disney style! And of course who can say no to unlimited hot cocoa and sugar cookies (they also have a healthier alternative with apple slices and apple juice).

My favorite thing about the party is how all of the characters are dressed in their finest holiday attire and of course the Christmas parade with Santa and his reindeer. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party brings together all the joys of Christmas in one place - lights, songs and holiday cheer...and even snow on Main Street! 

Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is A Disney Mom's Thoughts.

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard: 

1st Stop ~ Adventures of a Disney Princess 

2nd Stop ~ A Disney Mom’s Thoughts

3rd Stop ~ Walt Disney World: Not Just for Kids

4th Stop ~ Your Highway in the Sky

Final Stop ~ Heidi’s Head

A Look at the Newly Renovated Lego Store in Downtown Disney

The newly renovated Lego Imagination Center at Downtown Disney opened up a couple of weeks ago. On a recent trip I took I stopped by (as I always do), to see the new store and Lego sculptures for myself. 

All I can say is that it's even better than before! I especially love the new Disney Lego Sculptures that were placed all around the front of the store. 

Below is a look at some of the sculptures. My favorite is Snow White with Dopey. What's your favorite? 

Love is in the air at Disney

Valentine's Day is just a short 10 days away and with love in the air Disney Stores have released some great new merchandise to show that special someone in your life just how much you care! They have a great selection of apparel and personalized plush characters that you can purchase straight from your computer by visiting the online Valentine Shop. 

Here are a few of my favorites:

Disney Dining: La Hacienda de San Angel

On our New Year's trip to Disney last weekend we finally had the opportunity to eat at La Hacienda de San Angel, Disney's newest restaurant in the Mexico pavilion at Epcot. After a couple of months of trying to get dining reservations there, we were finally able to do so on New Year's Day!

I couldn't contain my excitement!

I for one love authentic Mexican food (and non-authentic as well), and La Hacienda de San Angel serves just that. You won't find just beef tacos and quesadillas on their menu. In fact the only tacos found on the menu are as appetizers and in the kids menu.

They start off by putting chips and salsa at your table (as do most Mexican restaurants). As an appetizer, my boyfriend and I ordered  the queso fundido. It was absolutely amazing! I strongly recommend going with this appetizer. As our main course we ordered "La Hacienda" Parrillada (serves 2 people for $49.95), which was a great deal and endless amount of delicious food. "La Hacienda"  is served on an cast iron platter and brings flank steak, chicken al pastor, chorizo and vegetables. It is served with beans and rice on the side.

Although all the meats in the platter were to die for, my favorites were the chicken al pastor and the chorizo (both were served in a chutney glaze).

So if you like authentic Mexican food, then La Hacienda de San Angel is just the place for you to dine at while at Epcot. Make sure to make dining reservations in advance as it fills up quickly and it is only open for dinner (starting at 4pm). If you'd like to look at their complete dinner menu you can do so here.

Ringing in the New Year at Disney!

I can't wait to ring in 2011 at Disney tonight! Some people may think I'm crazy for going to Disney on New Year's, but with some a bit of planning it's really not that bad. We actually decided to make this trip up to Orlando just 3 days ago...and yes, we were able to find dinner reservations for tonight as well! Below are some tips to ring in the New Year at Disney, whether planning it 3 days before (like me) or even a couple of weeks (During the holidays Disney is booked months, and even a year in advance at times).

For dining, the trick is to have an early dinner (around 5pm) or you can also opt for the very late dinner (10 pm). We were able to find several restaurants at the Parks that still had availability.

Another tip is to know what Park you plan on going to ahead of time. If you know for sure that you would like to ring in the New Year with a toast of champagne, then the Magic Kingdom is not for you. Regardless of what day of the year it is, they do not sell alcohol (not even on New Year's). I've heard many people complain about this, but rules are rules. If it's just adults, I suggest either EPCOT or Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Many of the Parks tend to get filled to capacity, so plan to arrive at the park you plan on saying "Happy New Year" at around 6pm at the latest. The Parks do hand out hats and blowers (for FREE). When you pick up your Park guide for the day, make sure to check out the distribution areas (there will be lines, so be prepared). Times of distribution may vary, but they usually do it around 7:30pm.

Hope everyone has a Happy New Year! I'll be back in 2011 with more tips and pictures!

Christmas Time at Disney

Two of my favorite things in the world are Christmas and Disney, put the two together and what you have is the ultimate Christmas experience! It doesn't get any better than Christmas time in Disney because they make sure to put you in the holiday spirit from the second you visit the website to book your trip!

Not only are the parks decorated in the best way possible for Christmas, but the Disney parks have something special for the Holiday season. I recently went to Disney and really got into the holiday spirit with all that they have going on at the parks.

At EPCOT, you can experience the holidays around the world and see how people from all over celebrate the holiday season differently through their own cultural traditions. EPCOT also has the Candlelight Processional, which I've yet to experience, but plan to do so next year!

Disney's Hollywood Studios is home to The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights. No words can describe how amazing this is.
At the Magic Kingdom, Main Street is decked in wreaths and garland with ornaments and a giant Christmas tree. Directly across from the Christmas tree  you'll find Cinderella's Castle which is strung in lights from top to bottom giving it the effect of an icy wonderland! My favorite special event of the holiday season takes place in Magic Kingdom with Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. This has become an annual tradition for us as we go every year to this event.

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party takes place on select nights from November through December (typically Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays). Since it is a special event it requires a separate ticket, and the closer it gets to the holidays the more quickly it sells out. If you plan on going on the last day of the event (usually the last Sunday before Christmas), make sure to buy your tickets 2-3 months in advance. I really enjoy this event because it's everything Christmas, Disney style! And of course who can say no to unlimited hot cocoa and sugar cookies (they also have a healthier alternative with apple slices and apple juice).

Most of Disney's holiday events begin in early November and run through the New Year, but to be sure it's always best to check the official Disney World website to confirm dates and times.

Have you been to the Disney Parks during the Holidays? What is your favorite thing to do?

Pictures of my Disney trip will be up soon!